What Does nVision Mean for the NIH Business Community?

If you make business decisions based on financial data from the NIH Data Warehouse, you have been using "business intelligence." Business intelligence is information from multiple sources that is integrated in a way that enables organizations to manage information better and to improve decision-making.

NIH is embarking on a new "business intelligence" initiative called nVision. An evolution of the NIH Data Warehouse, the nVision initiative will provide additional data reporting capability. More information is available on the nVision Web site.

What Is the Goal of This Initiative?

The goal of the nVision solution is to integrate data from numerous NIH enterprise systems and allow access to that data via the NIH Portal. (See an article on the NIH Portal in this issue.)

Over the next few years, new nVision business areas will be developed based on the deployment of NBS functions. These business areas include travel, budget and finance, acquisition and supply, property, and service and supply fund. Business areas that are not impacted by NBS will eventually be included in the nVision solution as well. (See Interface articles on NBS in issues 214, 216, 221, as well as this issue.)

When Will the nVision Solution Be Available to the Users?

The first release of nVision, the Travel business area, is based on data from the NBS Travel system and NBS Budget/Finance system. Users will be able to access travel information—including detailed data required for conducting daily operations, and high-level information required for travel planning activities. This information will be accessed via the NIH Portal’s "nVision Community" and will utilize single sign-on enterprise authentication. (See articles on the NIH Portal and enterprise authentication in this issue.)

nVision’s Travel business area will be available in spring of 2003, coinciding with the deployment of NBS Travel. Training for nVision Travel will also begin in concert with the release of NBS Travel.

What Is the Relationship between nVision and the NBS?

nVision will provide access to data collected in the NBS and will deliver valuable information for analysis and decision support. In the long-term, nVision will integrate data from numerous NIH enterprise systems. This information will be displayed using the latest in business intelligence software.

What Is the Relationship between nVision and the NIH Data Warehouse?

nVision is a successor to the NIH Data Warehouse and will allow the user to take advantage of important new data available from the NBS, as well as significant new business intelligence technologies. Eventually all of the Data Warehouse business areas will be updated and become unified within nVision and, ultimately, nVision will provide reporting capability for all of the current NIH Data Warehouse business areas.

If you have additional questions regarding the nVision solution, please contact the support team at nVisionSupport@nih.gov.